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Wildman of RhythmBook now available at independent bookstores online "This new book about 'El Bárbaro del Ritmo' celebrates the life and music of one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century."--Grammy award winning musician Paquito D'Rivera "Anybody with hot blood in their veins who has ever found Cuban music irresistible, and who believes that jungle-crazy mambo is the real thing, will feel indebted to John Radanovich's fascinating chronicle of Benny Moré's life. Wildman of Rhythm is more than a biography--it's a huge window into one of the richest, most creative cultures on earth."--Bob Shacochis, National Book Award finalist for Swimming in the Volcano "An informative and compelling chronicle on the life of Cuba's most dazzling singer, Benny Moré, tidily strung together as a series of small bright story-jewels. "-- Ann Louise Bardach, author of Cuba Confidential "An important and highly entertaining book that tells the story of the great and troubled Cuban singer Benny Moré. Helps roll back the curtain that often comes between American audiences and their appreciation of the great musical cultures to the south."--Sam Charters, author of A Language of Song: Journeys into the Musical World of the African Diaspora |
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Benny Moré (1919-1963) was
the greatest singer Cuba has ever produced. Among Cubans and
Cuban exiles alike, his name evokes overwhelming nostalgia for
the power of his expressive boleros, for his tributes to beloved guajiro towns,
and for the irresistible excitement of his up-tempo songs. He
was a lightning rod at the center of one of the richest historical
eras of the entire twentieth century, the golden age of Cuban
music, itself a very special moment in eighty or more years of
Cuban popular music history. Born Bartolomé Maximiliano
Gutiérrez Moré Armenteros, he is known to millions
of Cuban music fans as, simply, Benny.
Unable to read music, Moré nevertheless wrote more than
a dozen Cuban standards. His songs epitomize the Cuban big-band
era, and helped shape the Afro-Cuban sound--later called salsa.
All these years later, to hear his recordings for the first time,
it is impossible not to be thrilled and amazed. Moré's
success owed something to the wild times he lived in, but the
excesses of the time contributed to his early death just as
they floated him to his triumphs. Cubans are very fond of their
icons, and his passing at forty-four gave them another to adore.
Read a chapter excerpt here Wildman Reviews - La musicá de Moré en un relato - Song inspires bio on Benny Moré Entretien en Français windows: right click title to 'save as"pc - mac: option click title Lessons From New Orleans About Havana Story in Miami Herald Article in Miami Sun Post Upcoming Events
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